1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for stacking, securing and spacing circuit boards one on top of another. Further, the device of the present invention is stamped and formed from coplanar stock.
2. Prior Art
The invention disclosed herein is a novel improvement and significant departure from at least the following:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Class/Subclass ______________________________________ 2,855,206 Haviland 279/1 3,836,703 Coules 174/138 D 3,880,486 Avakian 339/17 M ______________________________________
Haviland and Coules disclose stacking devices having receptacle means on the upper end and a lower end which either locks onto the underside of the circuit board or is lockingly received in the receptacle means. Haviland's device is an elongated cylinder with a socket in the upper end and a plug-like lower end which includes a conical surface diverging upwardly to form shoulders. The socket, with a like shape, conformably receives the lower end.
Coules' device includes a rectangular upper frame structure with an opening through the top wall and a flexibe locking member integral with and depending from the bottom wall. The locking member has reverse extending fingers which catch on the underside of a board or beneath the top wall when the member is inserted into the frame structure on a like device mounted on an underlying board. Coules' device is not designed to accept leads or pins from electronic devices.
Avakian's device is not a stacking device per se: rather it is an electrical interconnect device between boards, being made from a resilient conductive material. The device includes a circular head portion at the upper end, a plug portion with upwardly extending, converging surfaces at the lower end and an interconnecting shank. The converging surfaces on the plug portion and downwardly facing shoulders on the head portion cooperate to removably secure the device to a board. On stacked boards with devices in registration, the plug portion of one device is received in a V-shaped groove cutting across the head portion of a like device on an underlying board. In an alternative embodiment, a recess or aperture extends into the device from the head portion. This aperture receives a lead or pin from an electronic device to electrically connect it to the board.